Friday, November 28, 2014

Tithing

In Malachi 3:6-8 God reveals Judah's biggest offense against Him. “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’  “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 
The tithe is the minimum - it is what is expected from God's people.  In Hebrew tithe means 10%. The Bible talks of not one but 3 tithes. One for the priests, one for the Temple, and one every three years for the poor. That works out to 23+% annually if you're counting. You see God's tithe (that's what it is) is the floor not the ceiling of giving to the Lord's work. God’s tithe not "my tithe" is in recognition that everything belongs to Him. Anything less than 10% is not to be called a tithe but rather a donation or offering.  It all starts from the heart. 
Who do you trust in?